2020 NFL Draft: Where is Justin Herbert’s stock after Rose Bowl win?

Breaking down Justin Herbert’s Rose Bowl performance and where his 2020 NFL Draft stock sits.

The Rose Bowl didn’t disappoint on New Year’s Day, as Justin Herbert and the Oregon Ducks outlasted the Wisconsin Badgers 28-27 in what was Herbert’s final game as a Duck. Now, he moves on to go through the 2020 NFL Draft process.

Herbert wasn’t especially dominant in this game, completing just 14/20 passing for 138 yards and an interception. However, he did make plays when he needed to down the stretch, including a 30-yard touchdown run to give Oregon the lead, and a third-down conversion to seal the deal.

Herbert looked very good on his first drive of the game. Oregon let him take a few shots, and he opened his performance with a good back-shoulder throw for a first down, and a back-shoulder throw high that was unfortunately dropped. Herbert also made a tight window throw over the middle for a nine-yard gain. He finished off the drive with his first of three touchdown runs.

Herbert did throw a pick on his second drive, which was a very good read by Badgers sophomore Jack Sanborn. It was definitely a stare down from Herbert, something that coincides with most of his interceptions this season.

From that point on, Herbert played very calm in the pocket and delivered on most of his throws. He had a couple misses that ended up just a hair high of his targets, but he made some good throws to the intermediate level of the field, one on the run and another off of play-action.

The arm talent was still prevalent in this game as some throws looked effortless for him. His athleticism was also on display, especially on his 30-yard touchdown run. He also made a couple of moves and a good stiff arm on his second of three.

The offense still held him back in this game, as Oregon kept their philosophy of a run-first scheme and a lot of quick throws behind the line of scrimmage. We know he can make the big-time throws downfield, but Oregon didn’t take the chance in this game.

So what did scouts, GMs, and analysts get out of this game as far as Herbert’s 2020 NFL Draft stock? Well, one of the bigger concerns surrounding Herbert was his leadership skills and his killer instinct.

It was clear that Herbert found a little bit of that instinct, especially keeping the ball on his last touchdown run. He also threw a pass on third down to seal the deal, rather than give Wisconsin the ball back with time left on the clock. Those two plays right there show that his teammates believe in him and the coaching staff believes in him when the game is on the line.

Herbert still has some things to work on as he transitions to the next level, and analysts will be split on him for the next three months, but he’s done enough to be a top half of the first-round selection, especially in a year where there are a lot of teams looking for a quarterback.

As far as this writer’s opinion? I would say that Herbert’s stock really hasn’t swayed in one direction or another. His stock has stayed pat, in that there are exciting tools, but certainly some burning questions.

It’s going to be an interesting 2020 NFL Draft process for Justin Herbert, and we will all be watching.